melensdad
Well-Known Member
Just happy tonight. 3 years ago I started on a journey with a young Russian saber fencing student who became my student. When she left Russia she was ranked 8th in the country individually and was on the Gold Medal winning Russian saber team. I met her at 16 years old when she showed up at my fencing club to take a lesson that I had arranged. I didn't think much of it. But I watched her practice, watched her lesson. I had never seen a fencer of this skill level. Her coach that night was a national medal winner, best coach in Chicagoland, I brought him down for her. I simply watched in amazement. Sent a text to her high school coach, who is actually not a coach, but really just a club sponsor, that she needed to do a lot of work to keep this kid's skill set up.
A month later I was her new coach and the new coach at the school for saber. She won every bout at every tournament in our high school conference and consequently the gold medal in every event. At Christmastime we started traveling to national competitions with me as her side-strip coach. East Coast, West Coast, Midwest. Anywhere there was a national or international competition we could get to we flew there. She was too good to stay in the Midwest, too good to have me helping. I got her a coach in Boston, he was better but still not good enough. She traveled with me & my family, but he coached her at events. Started shopping for colleges for her. Visited Stanford, Ohio State, Northwestern, Washington University, Harvard, Boston College, Yale, Columbia and Notre Dame.
Ultimately she was recruited by ND, my family acted as her surrogate parents, she is now a freshman at Notre Dame. Made the varsity team. Made the varsity traveling team. Qualified for the NCAA championships on an individual level (only 24 fencers get to compete per weapon per gender, with a maximum limit of 2 qualifiers per university).
Today the Notre Dame team won the NCAA National Fencing Championships, she's on her way home on the team bus with the trophy. I'll be on campus in a couple days to pick her up, she stays with us for school breaks so we'll have her here for Easter.
I had very little to do with her skills but I know my family played a big part in getting her to college and helping in other ways. Very proud of our Dasha, her team, and happy for her coach and her school. So yup, 2 drinks to celebrate tonight.
A month later I was her new coach and the new coach at the school for saber. She won every bout at every tournament in our high school conference and consequently the gold medal in every event. At Christmastime we started traveling to national competitions with me as her side-strip coach. East Coast, West Coast, Midwest. Anywhere there was a national or international competition we could get to we flew there. She was too good to stay in the Midwest, too good to have me helping. I got her a coach in Boston, he was better but still not good enough. She traveled with me & my family, but he coached her at events. Started shopping for colleges for her. Visited Stanford, Ohio State, Northwestern, Washington University, Harvard, Boston College, Yale, Columbia and Notre Dame.
Ultimately she was recruited by ND, my family acted as her surrogate parents, she is now a freshman at Notre Dame. Made the varsity team. Made the varsity traveling team. Qualified for the NCAA championships on an individual level (only 24 fencers get to compete per weapon per gender, with a maximum limit of 2 qualifiers per university).
Today the Notre Dame team won the NCAA National Fencing Championships, she's on her way home on the team bus with the trophy. I'll be on campus in a couple days to pick her up, she stays with us for school breaks so we'll have her here for Easter.
I had very little to do with her skills but I know my family played a big part in getting her to college and helping in other ways. Very proud of our Dasha, her team, and happy for her coach and her school. So yup, 2 drinks to celebrate tonight.